


Time flies

by starhugger



Category: Clockhand Children Universe - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Clockhand children universe, Death, Hurt/Comfort, Oh boy I hope you're ready, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 10:13:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15993095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starhugger/pseuds/starhugger
Summary: The days Ian had before he died.





	Time flies

Time really does fly.

It doesn’t move in one solid direction like many love to think it does, but instead it flows like a river with many forks and separate outlets, leading to different outcomes.

The Council never saw it that way.

See, they see everyone as having a destiny. Mine was to work in the fields and for the higher classes until the end of time. My friends were supposed to share the same fate, as I don’t know many high classed clockhands. The Council is supposed to stay in power forever. And for the longest time, I believed that. I was a part of that

I regret that now.

The Council was wrong. I think they know that themselves, but they could never step down from their thrones, built on their own people’s bones, rotting flesh, and lies. The more I learned of my own faction, the more I began to despise them. I felt no pity in this.

And so, I quit my position. I quit being a Council member and ran away, leaving everyone confused in the dust.

Not long after, I was out on the streets. I had no way to share my thoughts other than to scream it to the public. So I did. I got some people to believe me. But not many. Not enough.

Then, of course, I met Patrick.

How would I describe him? Well, firstly, he was handsome. He was a rogue, just like me. We would often sit on the rooftops and talk about building an equal society for beings such as ourselves. A place with no laws. No rules. No _leaders._

This was insanely dangerous talk. That’s why it was so fun, and so satisfying.

He would smile at me quietly, watching me ramble about things no one else cared about. I felt he actually… Cared. Because he did. I was always grateful for that. I had a crush on him, I’ll admit. I think he liked me too.

I wish I had said something while I could.

Anyways- one time, I got a host; something not really _allowed_ for rogues, yet it wasn’t something that could be controlled anyways. My host was a man with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. I don’t remember his name.

I took the time to sneak into a concert.

Rock and roll was something Patrick got me into. I was sure he would be here with me if it were possible. It felt sad to be alone on the Earth, watching a concert.

Clearly, something up above heard me, because after a few moments, I felt the presence of another being like me. Not a friendly signal, but not unkind, either. I watched as someone moved through the crowd, eyes glimmering.

I was scared, but I couldn’t move.

Finally, they came to a stop to the side of me.

They didn’t face me at all. Maybe they didn’t want to.

It was a man, with blonde hair parted and swooped to the side. He was shorter than me, but only by a bit. I couldn’t see his eyes.

I smiled, not minding the company one bit as I turned back to the stage. The other clockhand stood there, in complete silence, even when the people cheered. Clearly he wasn’t used to social cues. Or he just didn’t accept them like humans did.

When I finally turned back to face him, I saw that his head was down, and his back was heaving. _Crying._

My first thought was, “Damn, was the music that good?”, but then I slowly realized something was wrong.

I took the chin of the man, pointing it at me, and I saw puffy skin surrounding-

_Sunset colored irises, gleaming and glowing like the sun sinking below the horizon._

_A truly tragic color, as if pain hid behind them forevermore._

**Jesse.**

The prince of the clock had been standing next to me, at a concert, crying.

Why had he been crying? I never got to find out. As soon as the music ended, he disappeared from my vision.

When returning back to the clock, I didn’t see him again.

Until…

One day, everything changed.

Patrick wasn’t around. Neither was his girlfriend, Cassandra. Everything was too quiet, too soon. I could feel eyes on me coming from the people in the streets that were slowly beginning to reduce in size until I was completely and utterly alone.

What was happening?

I got my answer moments later.

Slinking down one of the larger buildings came a clockhand from the shadows. Gleaming, pained, orange eyes bore into my skull like a bullet wound.

I gasped, softly. Jesse!

He was alright. What a relief. With people like him, following every order, who knows how they might end up getting themselves killed.

Jesse was here again, but why?

“Jesse?” I asked, softly, and he looked at me. He was crying this time, too. But not loudly, or even noticably. Yet, I could tell by his puffy eyes and wettened cheeks.

“…Jesse?” I asked again.

A sniffle.

“I’m sorry.” He said, after a few minutes. I was going to question him, but I kept my mouth shut. His hand reached back, and a small flick was heard, before he pulled out a small, yet efficient, pistol.

A _gun._

Oh shit.

I felt as if I were going through the stages of grief all at once. Anger flared up, then begging, then sadness, then more anger, then denial that this was happening, before finally-

I knew what was going to happen.

“Jesse.” I said one more time. “I forgive you, in advance.”

I had never said something so fucking mature in my life.

Surprisingly, the first shot didn’t kill me, but instead only hit me in the eye. Oh God did it hurt.

I screamed like bloody murder, cursing at the sky I knew wasn’t even a real sky. I could hear a choked sob come from my killer.

When I looked back to Jesse, all emotion had been wiped off his face. Blank, like most clockhand children.

“Oh.” I murmured. “Back to-” I coughed violently, stumbling and grabbing my wounded eye.

“B-back to being a perfect little soldier, huh? Taking orders without even thinking of the consequences?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Listening out of fear, maybe? I-I’ve already.. Already seen what your true emotions are. Your eyes display it all to me- You’re hurting-”

He pointed the gun back at me, cocking it, but I could tell I was working magic.

One last chance.

“Jesse.” I whispered. “Do you even know who you really are?”

A moments hesitation, and then-

_Oh god, it hurts._

_…_


End file.
